Hip revision surgery - scared spouse!

@hopefulwife1 Yes, revision is scary - especially if you do not know why the original implant either stayed loose or became loose. Years ago, I had one of those "everything is fine" surgeons - until someone else found the problem! Let me just say that I made it through revision (on both hips) and am doing fine 11 years later.

Fortunately, you and he are in the best possible hands. There is every reason to believe that the new surgeon will get it right, using a technology to help assure success of the new implant. The best thing you can do is take a deep breath, and approach this as the solution, not a continuation of the hard times past. I know that is hard to do, and after surgery every little twinge will have you both on edge for a few weeks. But Mayo would not go ahead with revision if they didn't feel it will be a success - they would sit you don and advise you that there was nothing more to do.

Before my revisions, I heard lots of horror stories about "harder" "riskier" "longer to recover"... The only one true was the last - my body was tired from the bad implants & what they had done, so it took longer to get my energy back. I also had been limping badly, so needed extra PT with gait and strength training to realign everything.

I wish you both luck. You are on the path to a solution!
Sue

Thank you so, so much for this kind reply. I appreciate it very much. I am trying so hard to have a kind of "it's all gonna' work out" attitude for my husband's sake, but inside I am quite worried.

I will focus on the fact that we are having this at Mayo, that the surgeons are so skilled, that my husband is otherwise healthy and ready for surgery and I will focus on a positive outcome and our ability to rehab together.

Thank you.

Is there anything you could recommend for me - as a spouse of a patient - to be ready for surgery, recovery, rehab? Ways I can be most encouraging to my guy?

Thank you!

My husband was my best nurse!
He kept me on ice for most of the first week, and was always helping arrange pillows to keep my leg elevated in the recliner or on the couch, and to support me in bed because I hated sleeping on my back. And he helped me get out walking right away - even though it meant helping up and down a flight of stairs.
Just caring is 90%!
Hang in there.
Sue

That is awesome that you can help your hubby. My hip revision is scheduled for Wednesday but my hubby recently took on a new job so I will have limited help at the house. I feel your pain (literally) the not knowing is stressful. I had to take a half day class for my original hip replacement but my education for this upcoming surgery is limited to a Google search and getting a few hints of advice on this page. I am going to keep a journal after my surgery and try to do a You Tube Video once I have recovered on my journey. My daughter is helping me a few days a week so I think I will also have her make a few videos during my Rehab. There is so much reading and help for hip replacement surgery but hip revision needs more focus for us future hippies!! Best of luck to you and your hubby!!!

@hopefulwife1 I had a total hip replacement at Mayo Clinic three years ago. I was very frightened before surgery because I kept thinking my hip and back pain could get worse instead of better. It took a lot of PT and exercise on my part but I feel much better now and look forward to the x-country ski season this year.

I can imagine how awful it is that after all this time your husband's pain did not diminish and his concerns were not considered seriously.

I have not had a revision. I do know people who have had revisions for a variety of reasons including the one your husband has now. I'm thinking of one friend who is older than me (I'm 70) and I can barely keep up with her. She had a revision in one hip and then a total hip replacement last year in the other hip. She is a retired plastic surgeon so you can imagine how she would have preferred to be awake during her surgery and directing everyone in the OR!

Your husband is in very good hands at Mayo Clinic. Their team approach is unlike any other I have experienced. One of your husband's team members will be assigned to you as the caregiver during your husband's surgery so you will never feel out of the loop and I hope you will feel as supported as my husband did during my surgery.

I wish your husband and you all the best as his surgery comes closer in time.

Will you come back and let me know if you have questions? How are you feeling today? How is your husband feeling?

Good luck to you and your hubby!
I had hip replacement June 2021, and revision August 2021. Didn't go well for me...attributed it to nerve damage to 2 surgeries back to back.
I've done PT, Myofascial release, and Radio frequency ablation done so far but no help yet. I'm in that lucky 1% of patients they keep talking about.
Now I've also been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Feel sooo sorry for my wife but she's a trooper!!!!
Hope your hubby does well. Looking forward to hearing good news from you!

Thank you for this! I can care. I know how to do that very well and am so ready to be on the other side of a successful surgery so that I can start to "DO SOMETHING!!!"

Alice

I am so sorry about your surgery and subsequent diagnosis. I hope you can find peace and a certain level of healing in all this. Life is dang hard, isn't it?

Thanks for your response.

Helen,

How completely helpful this is to me. I need to hear success stories. Badly.

We are doing ok today ... trying to get ready for Thanksgiving travel (with pain!) and then get all our ducks in a row for Christmas because we will be at Mayo from Dec. 12-18.

I am beyond hopeful for my active, fit husband. We have big plans we'd like to be able to do in our late middle-aged years!

Talking to others is so helpful. He and I can't always calm each other down, you know?

Thank you!

@hopefulwife1 I am happy to know my post was helpful to you. Good to know that today is a good day for you both. It’s difficult to put the worry away but hopefully with the Mayo surgery on the near horizon you can keep coming back to feeling ok after a few minutes of worry. Having a plan in place like this is encouraging.